Rudrapur (Uttarakhand), April 10 The Udham Singh Nagar police have arrested two inter-state illegal arms dealers for allegedly supplying weapons to a terror associate based in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.
The accused, Harendar Singh alias Honey, a resident of Sitarganj, and Nikhil Verma alias Ranu, both aged 27, had allegedly supplied weapons to Al Badr's overground worker (OGW), Rehan Mir alias Irfan Mir, in 2021, they said.
Udham Singh Nagar SSP Ajay Ganpati said that during a search operation in SIDKUL phase II on Wednesday, police stopped a white Swift car without a license plate, and recovered two rifles, two pistols, one revolver, and 344 cartridges from the vehicle.
During interrogation, the accused told the police that they planned to hide the illegal arms in the jungle of Chorgalia, the SSP said.
Ganpati said that an examination of the accused's mobile numbers and bank accounts also revealed that suspicious financial transactions were taking place involving various bank accounts in Jammu and Kashmir, including Rehan.
He said that a case was also registered against Rehan and Honey by the Delhi Police Special Cell, in which both are wanted.
The SSP said that police are collecting more information about Rehan and have briefed the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Delhi Police on the development.
Police said the accused also revealed that Indrajit Sandhu, a resident of Pulbhatta, and Pawan Sandhu are the kingpins in the matter, adding that efforts are underway to arrest them.
A case under the Arms Act has been registered, and an investigation into the suspected network of terror financing and illegal arms smuggling is underway, they said.